Ebony Eyes
by Kanna37
Summary: And then came the announcement over the loudspeaker - 'Would those having relatives or friends on flight number 1203 report to the chapel across the street at once, please.' It was then he knew... Tied 2nd Best Oneshot Dokuga 1st Quarter 2011. 3rd B. Romance FA 2013.


**Ebony Eyes**

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Inuyasha.

~sSs~

A/N: This little fic is inspired by an Everly Brothers song – those of us in the fandom that are older might recognize them – called Ebony Eyes. And just so you all know... my last name isn't Everly, so I don't own the song, any more than I own Inuyasha.

~sSs~

Sesshoumaru growled with frustration.

It had taken a lot of effort for him to get some leave time, and yet, when his request finally went through his chain of command, he'd only been allowed a weekend pass, and that wasn't enough time for him to get to Kagome's side and marry her.

It wouldn't be too long before he'd be shipping out for an overseas tour of duty, and he wanted to have a ring on that woman's finger before he left, so all the world could see that she was _his_.

Frowning, he stared out at the late afternoon sunlight, and considered his options.

The only thing he could think of was the battalion chaplain – he might be able to come up with something, and without wasting another moment, he headed for the chaplain's office, hoping he was in.

Fortunately, he was, and once the problem had been laid out for him, he was most amenable to helping. A few phone calls later, Captain Nishiki sat back and smiled.

"All you need to do is call that girl of yours and tell her to get herself to the airport immediately – she's booked for flight 1203. It leaves Tokyo in three hours, and will arrive at nine this evening. I'll even perform your wedding first thing tomorrow morning, if you'd like, Lt. Taisho."

Bowing, grateful for the Captain's help, he thanked the man, then headed for the barracks phone to call his girl with the good news.

~sSs~

Later that evening, Sesshoumaru stood under a striped awning at the airport, watching the rain, and waiting impatiently for her flight to arrive.

He thought back with a slight smile to her excitement when he'd called her and given her the good news. He could almost see her jumping around, the biggest grin on her sweet face, and his own smile turned wistful as he thought of it. He'd missed her and her expressive ways so much these last months since he'd been away from her.

The way her smile would light up her whole face, and then the whole room, the sparkle of joy in eyes so dark a brown they were almost black... the love for him shining out to the whole world. Kagome never held anything back – she shared all of herself, and for the type of person, he, Sesshoumaru, was, that was exactly what he needed.

She'd started packing her clothes into a small suitcase while he was still talking, and her last words to him were, "I love you, Sesshoumaru, and I'll see you soon. Promise you'll be waiting?"

"Now and always, koi, you know that," he'd replied.

"Hai... just like I'll always wait for you." Then she'd said her goodbyes breathlessly, and the phone had gone dead. She was on her way, and he couldn't wait to see her again.

That had been hours ago, and nine pm. had come and gone, and still no plane. Worried, he went back into the small airport and up to the desk. "Excuse me, but do you know anything about flight 1203?"

The man shook his head. "No, we haven't heard anything, but I'm sure they were just delayed by the weather, or something. Sorry I don't know more."

Sesshoumaru nodded absently, becoming even more worried as he stepped back outside to listen to the sad sound of the rain hitting the ground, and watch the tower light flash through the skies as though searching for something. _I wish the plane would just get here already – this waiting is driving me nuts. _

"Hurry to me, Kagome, love..."

More time went by; Sesshoumaru kept himself sane with memories – memories of happy times when they were together all the time, and nothing was strong enough to get between them.

They had been high school sweethearts... after a bad beginning. She had been friends with his obnoxious brother, and he had been convinced that anyone that was friends with that boor had to be bad. When he'd finally met her, though, he'd been taken aback – he chuckled at the memory of his snide comments, and her spitfire response to them. He'd immediately been intrigued, and after watching her for a few weeks, decided he wanted her for himself.

It had taken a bit of time... but eventually, he'd caught his pretty prey, and they'd been together ever since. And he was more in love with her now, than he ever had been.

His enlistment into the army had been difficult for both of them, but Kagome had understood his need to do so – it was a family tradition, his own father and grandfather had been Generals in their time, and he was expected, as the eldest, to uphold their proud name's military background.

It hadn't been something he'd have chosen on his own, but it wasn't bad, either, and as long as he had his sweet Kagome by his side, he'd be happy anywhere.

He was pulled from his thoughts by an announcement over the loudspeaker, and his heart clenched in sudden fear as those waiting for flight 1203 were instructed to go to the chapel across the street. He wanted to deny the knowledge of what that announcement meant, to deny the horrible news he _knew_ was waiting for him inside that church, but all his suddenly leaden feet could do was walk him across the road and straight into hell.

Frozen, stunned, he listened as the airfield chaplain explained that flight 1203 had gone down in heavy weather, and no survivors were expected, as it had exploded on contact with the ground. He shook his head in shocked disbelief as his whole world shattered around him.

Like an automaton, he left the airport; it was a good thing his feet knew the way back to the barracks, because he was lost inside himself, deep down where he was screaming in absolute agony at the loss of his Kagome, his love, his _life_. It just couldn't be true – she was always so full of life, brimming with it. She was more alive than anyone he'd ever known...

How could someone like her die?

When he came back to himself, he was in his barracks room, sitting on his bed. His eyes landed on the warm quilt Kagome had made for him for christmas and sent in a care package, since his duty station could get pretty cold during the winter months. And just like that, his grief burst open as he pulled the quilt to himself and cried like he hadn't ever cried before.

He could count on the fingers of one hand all the times he'd cried in his entire life – but he knew that he would now be weeping for the rest of his life on the inside, because he knew that he would always love her and only her, whether she was here and alive, or not. He would never take another.

_When I pass on, I know that the first one I'll see will be you, Kagome – because while you're waiting there for me, I'm simply waiting here to be freed from this life to join you on the other side._

_And all I can do, is pray that my time comes soon... because without you, there is no life for me. From this day on, I'll simply be existing._

Finally, exhausted and grief-stricken, numbness crawled over him, and, curled up in the only thing he had left of his love, he drifted off to sleep, only to dream about her and the life they'd been denied.

He could only wish that he could stay in those dreams forever.

~sSs~

Five years later, Captain Sesshoumaru Taisho lay on a rainy battlefield, holes blown through him where he'd shielded his men from a grenade blast, listening to the sounds of combat move away from him. He looked up at the medic who was trying to tend to him, and attempted to shake his head.

"Don't waste your efforts on me, and put yourself in danger. My time is up, and I am eager to go." Weakly, he raised a hand and grasped the boy's (because that's what he really was) hand that was still trying to stop his bleeding, and held his gaze. "You can't fix me, Corporal," he coughed, blood bubbling up from his mouth. "Go save those that _can_ be saved – and those who _want_ to be saved. I don't fit in either of those categories."

Tears of fear and frustration in his eyes, the frightened boy nodded and said goodbye, before running off to tend to those who were still saveable.

After a few minutes, it got quieter as the battle ended, and Sesshoumaru blinked at the vision before him holding out her hand. With a genuine smile, the first one in five years, the dying man reached for the softly glowing woman, and took her hand as he took his last breath.

"You waited," he said, wonder in his eyes as he once again looked on her beautiful, smiling face.

Kagome smiled widely at him, ebony eyes dancing. "Of course I did. I said I would, didn't I?" She tugged his hand, and laughing gaily, turned to lead him away from the ugly place he'd died, and into a new, beautiful place, where he could finally be at peace with the woman he loved.

~sSs~

When Captain Taisho's company emerged from the battle victorious and came looking for his body, they found a smile still on his face.

And when the battalion chaplain came to speak at the wake that was held for him, he smiled too, knowing why that smile was there.

He found it fitting that the man would be buried with an eternal smile – for the happiness he'd been denied in life, had been granted to him in death...

And since death was eternal, he'd have forever with his lost love to smile about.

~sSs~

A/N: I've had this idea in my head for a while – I remember listening to this song when I was a kid way back in the dark ages, and it always seemed so sad to me. And even more so after my husband went into the army – I've seen it happen where the husband gets called home from a combat situation, to attend his wife's funeral. The irony...

Well, anyway...

Amber


End file.
